As is par for the course with Bush, when he wants to ignore obvious human rights abusing but oil friendly, authoritarian governments, he’ll have some in his government throw out chastisements followed by no action. With Burma, Bush has used both Condi and Laura as PR distractions for his complete failure to do any thing of substantce to aid the pro-Democracy movement or to end the unjust confinement of Suu Kyi.

We can’t just cheer the brave actions of the monks and their supporters. We need to demand that our country and the international community increase pressure on the military junta through all economic sanctions available.

22 Responses to “Monks Lead in Burma; Will Bush Ever Take Action to Match Words?”

One commenter from Mandalay, Soe Soe, notes of ” news in the government-controlled newspapers that fake monks are trying to agitate the public” which, as noted by the commenter, ” can be a big excuse for [the Myanmar gov’t] when they start attacking the monks.”

Another, Mg Thin Khar of Rangoon, echoes your call for international pressure, calling it “very important for the future of Burma – including from China and Russia.“‘ Those two aforementioned nations are, in my estimation, more important actors in relation to this situation than the US. Both China and Russia enjoy longstanding diplomatic ties with Myanmar and thus are in a better position to effectively leverage pressure on the Junta, whereas, as you noted, the US is on record as being a long-time supporter of Aung San Suu Kyi, even if official support has been tepid.

Back channel pressure on China and Russia (especially the former, which seems a lot more pliable to international scrutiny with the 2008 Beijing Olympics on deck, as international campaigners are well aware) would, IMO, be a much more effective diplomatic maneuver for US State Dept officials to engage in .

Frankly, at this point, as far as many in the international community are concerned, Dubya is akin to diplomatic strychnine.

Uh, no. He hasn’t yet. Why would this be different? Plus you’ve got Cheney pulling his strings while Halliburton is involved in a deal with Unocal, the oil company, to build a pipeline across Burma. This is a project that would have been held up for years if Unocal/Halliburton hadn’t paid the Burmese junta $$millions$$ to murder or make exiles out of the villagers in the path of the pipe.

“Change, Change, Change”
Those military tyrrants must aware what John Foster Dalles wrote in his mail
of “Change is the Law of Life of national and international life. If we keep barriers to those changes, it will result in voilent and immediate change”

in burma the people have been oppressed by the government for many years and have few freedoms. what precipitates actual demonstrations (which are extremely dangerous for the demonstrators) is usually an economic issue which exacerbates the people’s already precarious and deprived way of life. in 1988 one factor was that the government declared certain low denominations of currency to be no longer viable. this was a harsh blow to most people, who didn’t trust the banks and so kept their cash close to them. in any case they instantly lost most or all of whatever money they had. the protests began with small numbers of people, students mostly, and eventually the monks joined in and then others until huge crowds of demonstrators asking for democracy were appearing in rangoon and other towns in burma. some demonstrators started gathering daily in front of the u.s. embassy, hoping that the u.s. would send help. the government reached the point where they could no longer tolerate the size of the protest and began shooting, beheading, jailing, raping the protestors. no one really knows how many people were killed and injured, but obviously no help came from the u.s. or any other nation. in spite of the 1990 election in which aung san suu kyi’s party won overwhelmingly, the government still controls the country and aung san suu kyi is still under house arrest. the current protests apparently were partly precipitated by the high price of fuel, and i can see the situation spiraling downward just as in 1988 and i fear for the people. i didn’t understand then and i don’t understand now why my country won’t help them and probably no other will either.

I can’t speak for the rest of the world but as far as America goes, a large part of the answer lies in the fact that the 2nd highest official in the US govt is a corporate executive whose company has made $$millions$$ from its business dealing with the Junta. At the moment, we have a govt of aristocrats and corporate oligarchs whose concern for people doesn’t exist but whose concern for profits for themselves and their elite friends rules every decision they make, from denying health care to children (because, as Bush said in public, it might hurt corporate health insurers’ profits) all the way up to a war started primarily to gain control of oil fields.

FWIW, a lot of US citizens aren’t happy with these ass-backwards priorities.

Of course I blame Bush. When Poppy had a golden opportunity to intervene during the ’88 rebellion, he didn’t. He ignored it. I blamed him for that because he was president and it was his decision.

When Clinton had 8 years to put pressure on the junta and all he came up with was some lame-ass sanctions, even tho nobody else had even done that much I blamed him for not doing more because he was president and it was his decision.

So what makes Georgie special? He’s going to add some more lame-ass sanctions that are carefully restricted so the flow of business between US companies and the Junta can continue, he’s president, it’s his decision, but somehow we’re not supposed to blame him for his totally ineffective response?

Why should George Bush get a free pass when he screws up? Nobody else does.

IMO (and from past online experience) anyone dumb enough to come in all gangbusters with the ad homs (“asshats,” eh? Fuck you and the three tramp-tramping billy goats that awoke you), false dichotomies and bullshit strawmen like “[b]ut of course, then you people would have to do something about all those “Free Tibet” bumper stickers on your cars” is quite obviously not participating in good faith, and isn’t worth wasting time engaging.

“A stable Burma is important for China, as it is a corridor to the Indian Ocean and also a valuable trading partner.

China wants to keep it that way. So instability or even war in Burma is not in China’s interest. But neither is a bloody crackdown, because China is worried about its own image in the run up to next year’s Beijing Olympic Games.

And a Beijing-backed crackdown in Burma would spoil China’s idea of a trouble-free Olympics. “

ah yes, don’t want to encourage bush and condi to use real diplomacy to pressure other nations to do the right thing for burma and its people. if we can’t use shock and awe and all those sexy weapons, it isn’t so much fun for our government. it would take real work and faith in our career foreign service instead of using political appointees who on the whole have no background, experience or expertise to do the job. i include ms. rice in the latter group.

Maybe if you would all stop blaming everyone in the United States and Bush and start blaming the right people – “The generals in Burma” you might help the people of Burma to be free. I can’t believe all the petty bullshit that you spout about the US – In Burma you would be arrested and maybe killed. I traveled in Burma in 1994 and saw the brutal way that they treat everyone. I left after only 5 days because I didn’t want to support the government. Please tell everyone you know not to travel to Burma. By traveling there you only support the government. I know it is really “hip” to say you traveled but believe me it hurts the freedom movement.

You all need to be writing to the your congressman and to the Chinese government who helps keep the generals in power to help get freedom for those poor people. Do something other than just complaining……

“You all need to be writing to the your congressman and to the Chinese government who helps keep the generals in power to help get freedom for those poor people. Do something other than just complaining……”

Why do you assume ‘us all’ haven’t been doing just that? Maybe you should take heed of your own (self-righteous and ironic) advice.